Does Pitts still fit with Seahawks?

We’ve been banging the possibility of veteran free-agent guard Chester Pitts landing with the Seahawks around all offseason, but an answer should emerge on the long-time Houston Texans starter in the next few days.

Chester Pitts

Pitts, coming off microfracture knee surgery that ended a string of seven straight seasons without missing a game for Houston, was in Buffalo for a tryout on Monday. Jason La Canfora of nfl.com reports via Twitter that Pitts plans to visit Pittsburgh, Seattle and Denver this week in the final days before training camps open.

Pitts, 31, played for new Seahawks line coach Alex Gibbs in Houston and would be a natural fit in his zone-blocking system, but the question is whether he’s healthy and where he’d fit with Seattle at this point.

The 6-foot-4, 308-pounder underwent his surgery early last season after playing two games and is just now getting to the point where he can conduct full workouts, which is why he wasn’t snapped up earlier as one of the better free-agent linemen available.

The Seahawks opted instead to sign veteran Ben Hamilton to start at left guard and groom rookie left tackle Russell Okung. Second-year man Max Unger is starting at right guard, with veteran Mansfield Wrotto and young prospect Mike Gibson the backups.

Is there a fit still for Pitts?

Wrotto, 25, has started five games in three seasons in Seattle. Gibson, 24, was signed off the Eagles practice squad last year and played a couple quarters of action late last season when the Seahawks were searching for answers.

Pitts would be far more experienced, but also older and more of a short-term answer.

The situation with Unger could be fluid, however, given he finished last year at center and would be the logical solution again there if Chris Spencer falters or gets injured. So it is possible for Pitts to be seen as a veteran who could provide depth on the line, if he’s willing to come to Seattle for a reasonable price and prove himself healthy.

At one point during the offseason, Pitts proclaimed Seattle as the front-runners for his services. And you never know with this new Seahawks’ organization as GM John Schneider continues looking under every rock for quality players.

If the price is right — and clearly no one is bidding up his services or he’d already have signed — it wouldn’t be a stunner to see Pitts still land in Seattle.

But my gut says he’ll wind up elsewhere, given the Seahawks are looking more to rebuild for the long run with younger players and Pitts presumably will want to find a situation with a more-open avenue to a starting role than he’d find right now in Seattle.